Friday, May 3, 2019

Hawaii House members sing 'Hawaii Aloha' at session end PC:Hawaii House Majority

Hawaii legislative session ends on a divisive note. The state Legislature on Thursday adjourned for the year without its traditional display of unity, when House and Senate members clasp hands and sing “Hawaii Aloha.” Star-Advertiser.

Senate Closes The 2019 Session With Some Sharp Divisions. The state House adjourned while highlighting its successes. The Senate, meanwhile, is left reflecting on its compromises and splits. Civil Beat.

Fate of bills now in governor’s hands as legislative session comes to a close. The 2019 legislature came to a close Thursday, and proposals that made it through the House and Senate now have one more hurdle before becoming law: Gov. David Ige. Hawaii News Now.

The 2019 Legislative session has officially ended. "Today I'm just going to be honest, this has been incredibly difficult," Senate President Ron Kouchi said. A difficult session that ignited results, all the way to the very end. KITV.

Lawmakers wrap up 2019 legislative session. State lawmakers wrapped up their 2019 legislative session Thursday after several months of work at the state Capitol debating and passing bills, including measures reducing penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana and establishing all-mail elections. Associated Press.

Ford Fuchigami To Leave Ige Administration. The top aide to the Hawaii governor will step down at the end of May. Civil Beat.

Vacation Rental Bill: Where Lawmakers Live Determined How They Voted. Legislators from beachfront communities largely opposed the vacation rental bill, while support came from lawmakers who haven’t seen a proliferation of the properties. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s average public school teacher salary in 2017-18 was $57,866, a 2% increase from the year before that ranks its pay 18th highest among the states, but falls below the U.S. average, according to a new analysis released by the National Education Association. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Executive Conference announced a partnership with Landed, a down payment assistance and homebuyer education program aimed at helping teachers and school employees afford to buy homes, to bring new homeownership options to K-12 educators across the state. Maui Now.

State Lawmakers Asking FAA To Take Action On Tour Helicopter Operations In State. State lawmakers are asking federal officials to either ground all tour helicopters in the islands or ban flights over residential neighborhoods. Hawaii Public Radio.

Honolulu mayor signs high-rise fire safety bill. A measure making it easier for owners of older high-rise condominiums to meet stricter fire safety regulations was signed into law Thursday by Mayor Kirk Caldwell. Star-Advertiser.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell signs Bill 96 relating to fire safety into law. Bill 96 gives condominium associations the power to decide whether or not to retrofit high-rises with sprinklers or complete a life safety evaluation. KITV.

Final State Audit On Rail Finds Overpayments To Contractors, Billing Issues. The audit relied on a small sample of invoices so it’s not clear whether those billing problems within HART extend to other rail contracts, the state auditor said. Civil Beat.

Union announces layoffs imminent at The Modern Honolulu hotel. Diamond Resorts has notified 78 workers at The Modern Honolulu that their positions are to be eliminated in the next 30 days, according to Unite Here Local 5, the labor union representing the workers. Star-Advertiser.

There have been 21 dog attacks at this Kakaako park in the last 3 years. State taxpayers could end up paying big after another dog attack near a Kakaako homeless camp. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Kilauea, One Year Later: Volcanic Hazards Remain A Threat. This Friday makes a year since Kilauea erupted, sending lava into residential communities on Hawaii Island. Hawaii Public Radio.

KILAUEA ERUPTION — ONE YEAR LATER: Midwife, husband vow to return to Leilani despite losing homes in two eruptions. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County residents continue to file for building permits in riskiest zones. Since the eruption subsided in August, county officials say, 127 people have pulled permits to build or rebuild in Lava Zone 1, which includes areas experiencing recent flows. Star-Advertiser.

Man who fell into Kilauea caldera in stable condition. A 32-year-old man airlifted to Hilo Medical Center on Wednesday evening after falling into the Kilauea caldera is a solider stationed at Pohakuloa Training Area. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

The Pools of Oheo in Haleakala National Park’s Kipahulu District have
reopened after issues with the stream monitoring system caused a closure
three weeks ago. Maui News.

Community looks to crack down on illegal fireworks; meeting held Wednesday. Lack of evidence, authority make it tough to prosecute, search cargo. Maui News.

‘Fruitful’ session, says Nakamura. State Rep. Nadine Nakamura said she thought it was an especially fruitful session for Kauai. Garden Island.

Robust reefs, fewer floods. Kauai’s coral reefs protect the island from about $11 million worth of damages every year, according to a new study released by the U.S. Geological Survey, The Nature Conservancy and the University of California Santa Cruz. Garden Island.

For the seventh time in history, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has declared glyphosate unlikely to cause cancer in humans. On Kauai, glyphosate has been found in roughly one third of tested beehives, according to a 2018 study, with concentrations as high as 179 parts per billion. Garden Island.

About Me

Nancy Cook Lauer has more than 25 years experience as a journalist, winning national and state awards for newspapers in Florida and Hawaii. She publishes a daily state government news aggregate and commentary blog, All Hawaii News. Vice President of the Hawaii SPJ chapter as well as former president of the Big Island Press Club, Lauer has a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Studies from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology, summa cum laude, from Old Dominion University. She earned her reporting chops covering the 2000 Bush v. Gore presidential election at Florida's ground zero and was recently honored with a Torch of Light award and a Hawaii state Senate commendation for uncovering questionable spending practices in local government.

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